(CNN) - One the same day he formally announced his presidential bid, a rival for the Republican nomination criticized Jon Huntsman for not signing an anti-abortion pledge. But the campaign of the former Utah governor and former U.S. ambassador to China was quick to respond.

A web video released Tuesday morning by the GOP presidential campaign of former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania parodies the web videos of a man riding a motorcycle through the desert that the Huntsman team have put out over the past week to tease their candidate's formal declaration.
But the Santorum video has text that says Huntsman "hasn't signed the anti-abortion pledge. Just like Mitt Romney..." and then shows the motorcycle crash landing.

The Huntsman campaign responded, in an email to CNN.

"People who rely on pledges usually don't have a record. Fortunately Governor Huntsman, a life-long, no flip flops pro-lifer, has actually signed anti-abortion legislation into law - that's a signature that makes a difference. Not only that, Jon Huntsman has lived it. He and Mary Kaye adopted two children, Gracei Mei who had been abandoned in a Chinese market and Asha from an orphanage in India," said Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller.

Friday the Susan B. Anthony List announced that five Republican presidential candidates had signed their "pro-life leadership presidential pledge." Those five candidates were Santorum, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

SBA also pointed out that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson had not signed the pledge. The group, a political action committee that among other things helps anti-abortion female candidates, did not mention Huntsman, who was not an official candidate at the time.

SBA said they will send Huntsman the pledge to sign, now that he's formally jumping into the race.

soundoff(31 Responses)

cliff

Santorum, who in the 1990s authorized his wife to have a partial-birth abortion to save the life of his wife? What a hypocrite. Typical right-winger who tells everyone else how to live their lives, but thinks they are the exception to the rule.

June 21, 2011 09:54 am at 9:54 am |

Sniffit

"I'm a bigger right-wing extremist"

"No, I am"

"No, I AM...I hate women's rights more"

"No, I do"

"NO, I DO....LALALALALALALALALALALALA!!!!!"

And on and on and on....

June 21, 2011 10:02 am at 10:02 am |

Jeff W

The reasoin romney won't sign this is because he can't afford to promise he can't add members of his cabinet who are prochioce. He can't afford to because if there is a democrat ho he feels would make a great defense secretary, for example, he wouldn't be able to nominate him. Obama has a few republicans in his cabinet (notably Gates), so why can't a republican name a democrat?

June 21, 2011 10:08 am at 10:08 am |

Sgt Joe

Enough said about this idiot. Women, run and hide....he wants to set you back 60 years. Sniffit, you are so right. It's as if they try to compete for the most extreme ideology. Wake up, voters!

June 21, 2011 10:13 am at 10:13 am |

Sniffit

"Huntsman to warn of 'un-American' future in speech"

In GOPer-speak, this is a giant dogwhistle that refers to demographic trends making this browner country that tends to vote Democrat and the loss of white majority. From an objective standpoint, however, it means the plutocracy the GOP's economic policies have created, redistributing the middle-class's wealth and potential for wealth to the already wealthy and giant corporations in an end-game bid to prevent those natural demographic changes from having their expected effect.

June 21, 2011 10:16 am at 10:16 am |

Robert Cloosdoosch

Anti abortion pledge?
Santorum, what exactly will that do to help turn this economy around? What a joke.

June 21, 2011 10:16 am at 10:16 am |

Colleen

Rick Santorum..."all abortions are murder...except the one my wife had" what a flaming hypocrite....if he truly walked the walk...he would not have played God...and made a CHOICE for his wife to be saved...

June 21, 2011 10:20 am at 10:20 am |

Thankfully Independent

Hey Rick, signing this anti-abortion pledge won't get my vote; actually signing this hastily put together piece of paper gets points taken away. So far Romney and Huntsman are the only GOP presidential candidates showing any leadership and independence. The rest of you look and sound alike.

June 21, 2011 10:27 am at 10:27 am |

Liberal elite=anyone with an education

Ron Paul signed the pledge? So how does the darling of the libertarian wing of the GOP, the pontiff of smaller government, justify using the federal government to tell women what they can do with their own bodies? The GOP hypocrisy just keeps rolling along...

June 21, 2011 10:28 am at 10:28 am |

Ray

The not so big secret about this new anti-government wave is that they want to reduce the government to where it's just big enough to force their ideals on everyone else. Just remember this about Santorum, the voters in his own state thought he was so crazy that they resoundingly kicked him out of office in 2006.

June 21, 2011 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

Rudy NYC

"People who rely on pledges usually don't have a record."
------------
In Olympic wrestling, that would be called a "take down." Which is a move where both competitors are standing, and one makes a move on the other that takes his opponent down to the mat, flat on his back. That, is a take down.

June 21, 2011 10:32 am at 10:32 am |

Realistic

The republicans are becoming a joke more everyday with their pledges. Theres only one pledge they should adhere to and that is ' I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America for which it stand for....." This is the only pledge that matters...Republicans are always signing pledges and if they get in power, tehy trash the pledges they signed and re-do another contract on America and enrich themselves at our expense, pathetic but true.

June 21, 2011 10:35 am at 10:35 am |

Rudy NYC

Ray wrote:
The not so big secret about this new anti-government wave is that they want to reduce the government to where it's just big enough to force their ideals on everyone else.
--------------------
I agree. Haven't you ever noticed how the smallest governments (relatively speaking to population size) in the world today rule over the same countries with the most oppressed and poorest societies? Google "Imperialist Capitalism".

June 21, 2011 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

DA

LOL...This is why the GOP will pretty much DIE the Great Death, they constantly try to legislate morality and in a Nation heck, for that matter World of different views and opinions it just will not work!!! Times are changing and this whole notion of the Religious right in politics is not the way to go for this country. Rick and all those seeking the nomination throw these red meat topics out so that, they can get votes!! But the truth of the matter is the majority of folks really don't care about what a person does with his or her body, doesn't cares about who they marry, and don't really care about a person faith!!

June 21, 2011 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

Kenny

Signing these various pledges doesn't get my vote. It simply tells me that a candidate is willing to sell his or her soul to a Special Interest Group in exchange for every vote they can ganer. Let the candidate get his or her own votes based on the opinion of the voters. Then and only then would you have an official truly elected by the people and not by Special Intrest.

June 21, 2011 10:37 am at 10:37 am |

Former Republican, but never again!

Santorum is a light-weight with absolutely no chance.

June 21, 2011 10:38 am at 10:38 am |

Chief Sitting Bull

How about a JOBS pledge???

June 21, 2011 10:39 am at 10:39 am |

rs

Republican antiabortion, or pro-life proclaimations might actually have some meaning if Republicans actually cared about the post-birth citizens of our nation.

Unfortunately, once you are born, the GOP seems to be positioned to ensure that kid's education will be ruined, that poor people will die from easily cured disease, that old people will once again be impoverished. I otherwords, they really don't give a rip about people, unless they are wealthy.

The sad thing is that people who are pro-life, fail to see this game, and vote for these evil people.

June 21, 2011 10:44 am at 10:44 am |

DIANA

And this helps the economy how? Going after women will not get you elected.

June 21, 2011 10:47 am at 10:47 am |

Al-NY,NY

Santorum is a fanatic who's only interested is in damaging the candidates who could challenge Obama in the general election. Keep it up Ricky-boy. The convention is gonna be the coronation of an un-electable lemming who does nothing but spout the same old GOP manifesto, with the same results......losing

June 21, 2011 10:51 am at 10:51 am |

Democrat Class Warfare - Destroying the economy, destroying the country

I wouldn't want Christie as VP either. I WANT HIM AS PRESIDENT!! He's going to save NJ even though the Democrats will do everything in their power to destroy it. He's one tough cookie. Sort of reminds me of Teddy Roosevelt, but without the progressive defects.

Santorum and Huntsman are just noise. Romney is the one to watch. And if he does get Christie as a VP, then game over for the Democrats. Obama's record of abject failure with the economy and everything else will sink the Democrats to near extinction levels.

June 21, 2011 11:12 am at 11:12 am |

Dan from Tx

Pledges before people.

How about a pledge to focus on JOBS JOBS JOBS????

June 21, 2011 11:30 am at 11:30 am |

Dare

Wait let me get this right: Change the abortion laws in this country but adopt babies from other countries so this country can become a larger welfare nation with a bunch of unwanted babies. If you are pro-life, ADOPT FROM the USA so the burden is not on us Pro-Choice people who do not want to be taxed for millions of unwanted children. You cannot have it both ways in this country, it will not work in the current environment so THIS SHOULD NOT EVEN BE A TOPIC IN POLITICS. It is a personal choice.

June 21, 2011 11:34 am at 11:34 am |

MJD

Democrat Class Warfare -
You are kidding. Christie as President? Of what? The Millionaires Boys Club? Do as I say! NOT as I do! I can use a State helicopter for private use! Good Grief!

June 21, 2011 11:35 am at 11:35 am |

ja

neither can get an abortion, ask women what they want, not the extremists